Home Service Link Building Strategies

Anyone who’s done even a small amount of SEO research probably understands the importance of link building, but may not fully understand the concept itself. Actually, “building” is something of a misnomer – you don’t actually build any of the links yourself, at least not in the way a home service contractor might typically think of building. 

In fact, the links in question aren’t even created by you or your company. Confused yet? Don’t worry – in this post, we’re going to explain what link building actually means, and then offer some advice on how to do it successfully. We’ll also talk about what to avoid when it comes to link building so that you don’t get punished by search algorithms. 

What exactly is link building?

The term “link building” refers to an intentional campaign to get other websites to link back to your site. This specific variety of link that goes back to your page is called a “backlink.” (creative, right?)

There are many different ways to go about link building, but before we get into those strategies, it’s important to talk about one important step to avoid negative repercussions.

How NOT to do link building for home services

SEO in general is a popular topic online, and link building is among the more popular subtopics. One of the consistent themes you’ll come across as you browse through articles and advice on the subject is to avoid practices that Google and other search engines view as illegitimate or “black hat” tactics for link building.

These include:

• Spamming your website links everywhere, particularly comments of blogs
• Creating fake or low-quality directories just to add backlinks
• Using social media to constantly post links to your site

One surefire sign of a black hat link building tactic is if someone asks for money in exchange to guarantee a certain number of backlinks. Don’t even bother engaging with these types of shady vendors: You’ll have more success trying to purchase oceanfront property in Kansas.

3 Tips for Effective Link Building for Plumbers

Now that we’ve gone over what not to do in your link building campaign, what are some productive methods to get others to link back to your website? Here are three of the best ways to get started:

Focus on content creation

How do you get people to link back to your page? Give them something worth linking to! But remember, “content” can mean many different things. Don’t feel like you have to bust out the tripod and get your entire office to participate in the latest viral TikTok dance (if you do go this route, make sure to send us the video). Videos are certainly one good option for content, but you can also write blog posts, create infographics, or even put out audio recordings. 

The key here is to focus on adding value. As a home service contractor, you’re sitting on a goldmine of information that your audience probably doesn’t know about. Give prospective customers details on typical around-the-house concerns with HVAC, plumbing, or other areas you specialize in. Be as descriptive and detailed as possible without getting boring or dragging on too long. 

If you aren’t sure where to start, here’s an easy trick to come up with topics for content: research what your competitors are doing and adapt their ideas. You can even take inspiration from home services companies outside your market. The more valuable your content, the more people will want to link to it.

Network in your community

As we mentioned earlier, link building is a popular, well-known strategy. It’s likely there are others in your community who are also trying to get backlinks to improve their SEO. As long as you’re not direct competitors, there’s no harm in collaborating with other local businesses to work together on backlinks. Think about home service businesses with a different specialization than yours, real estate agents, property management companies, attorneys, etc. You can agree to link to each other’s website in a guest blog post or even some kind of static community page.

A caveat here: make sure that the people you collaborate with for backlinks are reliable. Even if you’re just placing a link to them on your site, you don’t want your company name to be associated with sketchy individuals or businesses.

Seek publications in your area of expertise

Even before the digital era, there was a magazine for almost everything under the sun. In the age of nearly effortless internet publishing, there’s more topics being covered than ever before. Seek out local magazines, popular blogs and other sites that regularly publish content on the areas you know well. Get in touch with their editors and see if they are looking for contributors. Not only will this help you gain backlinks, depending on the circulation it may even boost your profile in the community as an expert in your field. 

As is often the case when it comes to SEO topics, the strategies outlined here are only the tip of the iceberg. If you’re looking to get expert help from a group of marketing specialists who know the challenges and obstacles involved with link building, click here to book a call with our team to learn more how we can help you effortlessly improve your SEO without taking away from the daily responsibilities of your business.